You’ll be amazed at how common this problem is. Air conditioning units often tend to get ice on them, and nine times out of ten, it’s not your fault. An AC unit has many parts; if one part starts failing, a few more will stop working, which shows the unit in many ways, one of these being that sheet of ice you see on your Air conditioner.
There are several mechanical reasons why there’s ice on your outside ac unit. Don’t panic; Anderson Air has got your back.
To avoid any avoidable errors on your end, out of professional courtesy, we strongly advise that you contact an agency specializing in air-conditioning to get your AC unit checked out.
Here’s why ice forms on your outside AC unit.
Your air filter is dirty.
An unclean air filter is a common cause of ice on AC. With its function in mind, an air filter, over time, gets clogged with the residue it traps from the air before it gets conditioned to the temperature of your choosing.
A clogged air filter limits the airflow within your unit, leading to overcooling that eventually makes ice form on an AC unit. If this continues, your AC unit is likely to stop working altogether.
If the filter is filthy, you may even feel warm air coming out of the back of the unit. A clogged filter forces the air conditioner to work harder to keep the house cool. Dirty air filters will lead to more frequent AC repairs and, ultimately, shorten the unit’s lifespan.
Cleaning your air filter keeps it clear of residue. You can also schedule a service from a trusted professional.
Your evaporator fan is faulty
The evaporator fan is responsible for keeping that cooling coil in your AC unit from reaching below freezing temperatures and that maintains your room or house just cool enough.
However, when this fan gets faulty, the cooling coil dips below freezing temperature, which could lead to ice forming on your outside AC unit.
There are various signs of a faulty evaporator fan, and these include:
● Air coming from the vents is lukewarm
● The air conditioner goes on and off on its own.
● The air conditioner occasionally refuses to turn on.
● Coolant leak near the indoor cooling system parts
● Strange sounds from the cooling system, such as banging or hissing.
There are multiple reasons why your evaporator fan could be faulty:
● Aging of the entire AC unit. Like every other machine, AC units age and eventually weaken.
● Ice buildup on the fan blades.
● One or more fans could bend if the fan blades are metallic, limiting their function.
You can resolve ice on AC in some ways, including;
● Please turn off the AC unit and give it time to defrost. This will usually take a couple hours or so to fully defrost.
● In case of a bent fan, please get in touch with a professional as trying to realign the fan could put it off balance, causing more problems.
Low levels of coolant
The coolant (Freon) in AC units has many uses, such as keeping the cooling coil above the freezing point to prevent the unit from turning to an ice block. When the coolant levels reduce, the cooling coil cannot be regulated, leading to ice formation on your air conditioning unit.
Coolant is a necessity for an AC unit to function correctly. Therefore, ice on your unit could be due to a decreased coolant level. Assumptions aren’t safe, so reach out to a skilled individual in your area to determine what’s going on with your AC unit.
Blocked coils
Remember how we talked about a dirty air filter as a reason for ice forming on your AC unit? It could lead to that in another way, by blocking your unit’s coils.
Without a proper air filter, dust particles are sure to be trapped on refrigerant coils, leading to a buildup of dust particles that wrap the refrigerant coils, trapping cold air. This excess cold air can lead to ice forming on an AC unit.
Slow fan speed
The fan in your AC unit ought to blow fast enough to keep the flow of air over the evaporating coil at the desired rate. When this isn’t the case, the evaporating ring could over cool and lead to ice on ac.
Only a professional can tell if your fan speed is low, so let your trusted professional look and see what the problem is.
Clogged drainage components
An air conditioning unit deals with ice & water to keep the room cool, and ice melts; therefore, it has to drain through designated areas in your AC unit. i.e., the condensate drain pan and the condensate drainage line.
Clogging can occur in these parts leading to blockage and eventually water collecting. Over time, this water can lead to ice on the outside AC unit. This clogging can be due to;
● Mold
● Dirt (a unit needs to be clean)
Get your unit cleaned regularly to avoid mold buildup or dirt collection in the drainage components.
Other causes of ice forming on your ac unit are;
● Crooked ducts
● Aged Compressor
● Electrical malfunctioning, e.g., short circuits, blown fuses
● A coolant leak
● Dirty/wet evaporator coil
As you can see, different reasons can cause your AC unit to freeze or form ice, and most of them are not your fault. Only a proper technician can determine what’s causing the ice on your outside ac unit and the course of action to take.
Conclusion
Like every other machine, an AC unit will require regular or constant checks to see to it that it’s in tip-top shape and all parts are functional to avoid a scale of damage that will drown you in expenses. Take care of your air conditioning unit, and it will take care of you.
